S.96-5
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SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC
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MEMORANDUM
To:
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Senate
From: ?
D.
Senate
Gagan,
Committee
Chair
/"
on Academic iManning
Subject
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Special Topics Courses
(SCUS Reference: SCUS 95-22
SCAP Reference: SCAP 95-69)
Date:
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December 11, 1995
S
Action undertaken by the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies and the Senate
Committee on Academic Planning gives rise to the following motion:
Motion:
"that Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board of
Governors, as set forth in S.96-5, procedures to be followed in
the creation of temporary Special Topics courses."
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SCAP 95 - 69
Simon Fraser University
Office of the Registrar
Memorandum
.
To: ?
SCUS
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From: Ron Heath
Registrar/ Secretary of Senate
Subject: Special Topics Courses
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Date: November 27, 1995
Under current process, a department must have in place a "Special Topics" course offering with
a designated course number if a special course offering is to be made available in a given
semester. Some departments have attempted to cover every eventuality by setting up a series of
special topics courses/numbers at each course level (i.e. 100 level, 200 level, etc.), with the
result that they have a relatively large number of calendar entries with few occasions when the
various numbers are actually used. The ability to assign a different course number to each
special topic allows the student's individual record to accurately reflect the title of the subject
in the course. On some occasions, the available numbers at a particular course level may not be
sufficient. If a department does not have any available predetermined special topics number at
the required level, they may be faced with a decision to either not make the course available or
to offer it at a level that is less desirable simply to conform to an available number. Another
option is to offer a variety of Special Topics under a single course number but in these cases, the
actual subject of the course cannot be designated and everyone in the course, regardless of the
subject, has a transcript entry of Special Topic. This makes it very difficult to monitor
duplications in individual cases and does not explicitly record for the student the nature of the
academic work actually completed.
Based on the discussions we have already had in SCUS, I would like to suggest an alternative
arrangement which would put in place sufficient control to prevent misuse of the feature, while
at the same time it would provide departments with flexibility to take advantage of special
circumstances and offer innovative courses when possible.
Special Topics Courses
The current calendar entries for Special Topics courses would remain and in fact, a department
could request additional designations in the usual manner to have them recorded in the
Calendar. However, should a department wish to offer a 'special topics' course in a semester
without an existing course designation under which the topic can be offered, the department
may initiate a request for a temporary special topics number. The request would proceed to the
office of the Faculty Dean and would include the rationale, the manner in which the course
relates to the departmental curriculum and the probable audience (level, number of registrants,
fields of study, etc.). If approved by the Dean (or his/her designate), the approval will be
communicated to the department and the Registrar for assignment of a temporary special topics
course number. Temporary special topics numbers assigned in this manner normally will expire
after a maximum of three semesters. This would provide the department with sufficient
opportunity to assess the course in the context of its regular offerings and, if appropriate, to
initiate necessary procedures to formalize it as a regular course offering. The Chair of each
Faculty Curriculum Committee will report yearly to SCUS, in the fall semester, regarding the
occasions where temporary 'special topics' designations have been exercised.
